Exhaust system for tobacco barns



Oct. 22, 1957 w. G. POPE EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR TOBACCO BARNS Filed March 2. 1956 Willis 6. Pop

I INVEN TOR.

United States Patent 2,810,209 EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR TOBACCO BARNS Willis G. Pope, Angier, N. C. Application March 2, 1956, Serial No. 569,114

2 Claims. (31. 34-232 This invention generally relates to an exhaust system and more specifically provides an exhaust system for tobacco barns for removing excessive hot humid air from the tobacco barn during the drying thereof.

In the curing of tobacco, the tobacco leaves are disposed on tobacco sticks and hung in a curing or drying barn on suitable racks. The tobacco barn is provided with heating means whereby the tobacco may be more rapidly cured or dried. As the heat is applied, the moisture is evaporated from the tobacco leaves thereby drying and curing the same. However, the air soon becomes saturated with moisture and the heating of the air becomes inetfective. This results in an excessive expenditure of money for fuel or heating the air in the tobacco barn. Such tobacco barns are normally provided with some vent means adjacent the roof such as doors or the like in the gable ends thereof for permitting escape of the hot humid air adjacent the apex of the roof. However, such vents are not usually efiicient for reducing the heat and moisture in the barn to a desired level. Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an exhaust system for tobacco barns for exhausting the hot humid air from a point adjacent the roof line thereof and throughout the length of the tobacco barn for retaining the tobacco barn air in a relatively dry condition to permit more rapid evaporation of moisture from the tobacco thereby decreasing the time necessary for drying and curing the tobacco and decreasing the amount of fuel necessary for this operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust system having a plurality of air inlets wherein the individual air inlets are independently controlled whereby the amount of air taken from each area of the barn may be controlled thereby assuring that all of the tobacco in the barn will be evenly cured and dried.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust system for tobacco barns including a novel control means for the air outlets to facilitate the closing and opening thereof.

Other objects of the present invention reside in its simplicity of construction, ease of installation in various types of barns and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing and operating cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the exhaust system installed in a barn with portions of the roof broken away illustrating the mounting of the conduit within the barn; I

Figure 2 is an end view of the barn illustrating the conduit extending to the fan exhaust means;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view of a portion of the conduit illustrating the control means for the opening; and,

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of Figure 3 illustrating the structural details of the air inlet open ings and the closure therefor.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates the exhaust system of the present invention for installation in a barn generally designated by the numeral 12 and including side walls 14, gabled end walls 16 and an apex roof 18 having a crown or peak 20 which is supported by suitable rafters 22 in the usual manner. The barn 14 is provided with the usual access door 24 and air inlet openings 26 at the base of the side walls 14. Also, heating means is provided within the barn and the details of such heating means is not illustrated since any conventional type of heating means may be employed.

An elongated sectional conduit 28 is supported adjacent the undersurface of the peak of the roof 18 by any suitable bracket means and extends out through one end wall 16 and terminates in a vertical conduit 30 supported by brackets 32. The vertical conduit 30 terminates in an enlarged bell-shaped horizontal end 34 forming a housing for an exhaust fan 36 which is driven by a suitable electric motor 38 and which is supported on a supporting structure 40 which may be of angle iron construction or of any other suitable construction whereby the fan 36 is rotated by the electric motor through a V-belt drive 40 or a chain drive for exhausting air from the interior of the barn 12.

The conduit 28 is provided with a plurality of sections with each section having a reduced end portion 42 telescoped within the adjacent section and the end section is provided with a cap 44. A plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 46 is provided and each opening is provided with a slot 48 in one end thereof for receiving a ,slidable closure plate 50 which is slidable between spaced guides 52 on opposite walls 54 of the opening 46 where.- by the plate 50 may slide longitudinally between the guides 52 in the track formed by the guides 52 from a retracted position to a position fully closing the opening 46 and it is noted that the opposite walls 54 are defined by the depending flange which defines the openings 46.

In spaced relation to the opening 46 is a pair of depending flanges 54 having a lever 56 disposed therebetween and pivoted to lugs 58 on the conduit 28. Adjacent the free end of the lever 56 a link 60 is connected and the other end of the link 60 is connected to the end of the plate 50 disposed exteriorly of the opening 46, for reciprocating the plate 50 when the lever 56 is pivoted about its pivotal connection to the lugs 58. A tension coil spring 62 extends between the lever 56 and a point of the conduit 28 adjacent the opening 46 for normally urging the lever 56 towards the opening 46 thereby urging the plate 50 towards a closed position.

A pulley 64 is supported from the plates 54 and has a flexible line 66 passing thereover and terminally attached to the free end of the lever 56 whereby longitudinal movement of the line 66 will cause pivotal movement of the lever 56 against the tension of the spring 62 for opening the plate 56. Release of the line 66 will permit the spring 62 to urge the plate 50 inwardly to a closed position.

A cleat 68 or any other suitable anchor means is provided on the wall of the barn for terminally securing the flexible line 66 whereby the closure plate 50 may be secured in adjusted position. This construction permits independent adjustment of each of the plates 50 to a desired position thereby assuring that a controlled and balanced amount of air may be exhausted from each portion of the barn thereby assuring even curing and drying of the entire barn of tobacco.

While the specific size arrangement is not shown, the size of the openings 46 may change progressively in size whereby an equal amount of air will be taken into each opening 46 when all of the closure plates 50 are fully open. This arrangement also will assure that an equal amount of air will be drawn through each of the openings 46.

With the presentdevice, it will be readily apparent that hot humid air may be quickly and effectively exhausted from'the tobacco barn thereby assuring fast and even drying in curing .of the tobacco. Of course, theusual ventilation means may be provided such as doors inthe gable ends 16 of the barn or pivotal sections in the roof for use when the moisture content has been materially reduced and it is only necessary to employ natural ventilation.

From the foregoingthe construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerousmodifications and changes will readily occur to those skilledinthe art, it isnot desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An exhaust system for tobacco barns having a roof comprising an enlarged tubular conduit disposed adjacent the undersurface of the roof and extending substantially throughout the length thereof, fan means communicating with said conduit for exhausting air from the conduit to the exterior of the barn, said conduit having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings therein for exhausting air from the barn at a point adjacent the roof, and closure means for selectively closing said openings for controlling the exhaust of air from the barn, each of said openings being defined by a depending peripheral flange having a slot in one edge and a horizontal track in opposed edges, said closure means including a closure plate sildably disposed in said tracks and extending through said slot, and means for independently controlling each closure plate, said control means including a control lever depending from and pivotally supported from said conduit in spaced relation to the closure plate, a link interconnecting thelever and the plate, a tension spring interconnecting the conduit and the lever for urging the lever and plate towards a closed position, a pulley supported adjacent said lever, a flexible line attached to said lever and extending over said pulley, said line extending downwardly to an accessible position for selectively opening and closing the opening, and anchor means for said line.

2. An exhaust system for installation in a tobacco drying barn having a heat source for removing hot humid air therefrom comprising an elongated horizontal conduit mounted adjacent the undersurface of the barn roof, a vertical conduit connected to the horizontal conduit and extending exteriorly of the end wall of the barn, a fan at the bottom end of the vertical conduit, means on the ground for supporting said fan, a power source on said supporting means for rotating said fan, said horizontal conduit having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings therein, and independently operated closure means for said openings, each of said openings being defined by a depending peripheralflange having a slot in one edge and a horizontal track in opposed edges, said closure means including a closure plate slidably disposed in said tracks and extending through said slot, means for independently controlling each closure plate, said control means including a control lever depending from and pivotally supported from said conduit in spaced relation to the closure plate, a link interconnecting the lever and the plate, a tension spring interconnecting the conduit and the lever for urging the lever and plate towards a closed position, a pulley supported adjacent said lever, 21 flexible line attached to said lever and extending over said pulley, said line extending downwardly to an accessible position for selectively opening and closing the opening, and anchor means for said line.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 61,093 Paxson Jan. 8, 1867 245,911 Wood Aug. 16, 1881 832,247 Edwards Oct. 2, 1906 

